The best time of year to stay in Villa Rusconi-Clerici’s garden apartments is between March and June, when the camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons and roses are in flower, in that order. But the Lake Maggiore area has something to explore and enjoy every month of the year.

Just a few hundred metres from Villa Rusconi-Clerici, the centre of Pallanza has a variety of shops to satisfy all requirements. And between one purchase and the next, have a welcome break in one of the lakefront bars.

The whole area around Lake Maggiore and the mountains of the Ossola is full of interesting places to visit and things to do.

Sports enthusiasts will enjoy swimming in the lake, hiking in the mountains, skiing well into the spring and excursions by mountain bike. There are also several golf courses, often in breathtaking locations, tennis courts, motorboats to hire, and much more.

Visitors in search of culture will find plenty to interest them in the old town centres of Cannobio, Mergozzo, Vogogna, Craveggia, Domodossola, and Orta, to name but a few. These atmospheric places are still full of winding cobbled lanes and little squares, and the beauty of past times is still alive in their churches, sacri monti, museums and old buildings, which are well worth exploring.

Lovers of Italian food will be pleasantly surprised by some of the local products on offer: wholemeal bread from Coimo in the Vigezzo Valley, and delicious hams from the same valley; wines from the Ossola valley and from the hill country near Novara, and dishes based on fish from the lake, will live in your memory after you have gone back home.

The Verbania Tourist Information Office, 100 metres from Villa Rusconi-Clerici, can give you a wealth of information and printed material, including details of the cultural events on offer. We have also tried to imagine what might be of interest to visitors from abroad; the results are contained in an information pack which you will find on your arrival, and include a variety of long and short itineraries to follow on foot, by bicycle, even by boat, to help you explore the area, its shopping opportunities and restaurants.

We realised that there is such a variety of things to do and see on a short holiday that we decided to upload in our website a dossier called "Welcome to Pallanza" (in English), including useful information and a selection of recommended itineraries. This way you can start planning your stay, with the help of our maps and tourist guides.

And when you will come to stay with us in Pallanza, our caretaker/gardeners Gianni and Roberto along with our dog Tota will be happy to welcome you and your family. It’s more than likely that you will also meet some of our family. We’ll be delighted to take you round the villa and tell you the latest thing we’ve found out about the house’s history!